Crystal
by qurz058
Summary: Stupid bastard, she thought. That idiot had seen through her and told her what she needed to hear. He didn't need to ask what had happened and he certainly didn't know about it. […] Annie took another sip from her cappuccino and walked to his side. "Walk me to the station", she said pulling from his hand. She felt awkward doing so, but she wanted him near.【aruani: highschool!au】
1. Mystery

He opened his blue eyes slowly and raised his head from the desk. His head was spinning and his back hurt like hell, but that didn't stop his mind from waking up on time by its own.

Armin had fallen asleep once again over one his top ten favorite books. He had been hoping for a week to get some free time to re-read it, but hadn't had the chance 'till last night. Last time he saw the clock, it was 02:48 am.

He entered the bathroom and washed himself before smarten up a bit. Not that there was much to do since he had to use uniform for school, though they were rather simple: jeans (or a denim skirt for the girls), a t-shirt and the school's jacket.

He prepared dinner for his grandfather and himself, and ate alone before leaving for school. Rose's Academy wasn't far from the Arlert's house, but the boy preferred to leave early; that way he could stop as many times as he wanted to contemplate the changes on the road.

But today he couldn't concentrate on them, so he arrived rather early to the building. Dragged himself through the halls and up the stairs to the second floor. He opened the door 3A and dropped himself over his chair. He was tired as hell.

He laid his head over the desk and tried to close his eyes, but the grinding of the door made his eyes go wide open again.

A short blonde girl had just entered the room. There were 3 girls from the classroom that had those qualities, but only one of them had that shade of blonde and a pronounced nose: Annie Leonhart.

Armin straightens up to greet the girl; but she didn't even look back at him. She sat at her place in front of him and took out her note book.

He watched as she solved her math homework over her shoulder. "You got that wrong" he let slip. He bites his tongue and looked away, but a heavy noise in front of him made him look back. Annie had dropped her notebook over his desk, she was waiting. "Th-That's not the formula you need for this equation" he scribbled at the top of the paper, "start with this one" he said "the rest is just about clearing the x".

The blond girl showed her final result to Armin once she was finished. The boy nodded and helped her with the next one. By the time they were done, the room was full of chatting people.

They started the day with chemistry with Hanji. Next he had history with Zakarius. It followed philosophy with Hannes, free hour, literature with Ral, math with Levi and language with Shadis; a good and normal day.

By the end of the day he had been assigned three more projects: one for chemistry, literature and math. But he didn't want to think about it, he was exhausted and wanted to go to bed so badly.

Annie stood up and waited by his side. After she stared at him more than 2 seconds (her average) he knew something was off. "Be my partner for math's project?"

He wasn't expecting that. And, at any rate, he would have had expected it in the morning, in an inbox. He tried to rub the sleep from his eyes and concentrate. Armin had never paired with her, and she didn't look Jean-like (do the work and put my name on it-like), so why not?

Besides, she made him kinda' curious. That dedicated girl who always isolated herself, but was kind to him; who tried to hide, but couldn't handle guilt; and he didn't know why. If Armin could easily read people like books, why did she remain a mystery to him? That's what made him curious.

"When do you want to start?"

"Today". Crap.

Annie lived quite far from the school, so they had to take the subway. Armin sat by her side, feeling sleepy... sleepier with the wagging of the transport and the murmur of people.

He didn't know if to regret accepting going to the Leonhart's place to work on math, or if he should regret reading one of his top ten favorite books 'till late night. Now, he didn't want to do that, but blaming Annie didn't seem fair.

A light weight hit against his arm. The blond girl was leaning against him, head on his shoulder. "A-Annie?" Her fringes hided her eyes from him, but guessing on the rhythm of her breathing, she seemed to have fallen asleep.

"Annie?" He called again in a murmur. She was really sleeping against his shoulder, something Armin would have never imagined. "You really are a mystery" he thought out loud.

At what stop did she say they had to get off? He couldn't remember.

Zzz


	2. Bruises

Eren sat by his side, glaring back at nothing and Armin knew whose responsibility was that: "You should already know that you can't win against her".

The green eyed tsk-ed him before sending both Mikasa and himself to the bottom of hell. The blond one giggled and returned to the book he held in hands: another of his top ten.

He enjoyed his friends' disputes, but he was tired of them as well. After all, they were taking long to tell each other their feelings. Their true feelings: Eren hided his love behind his frustration, while Mikasa... she didn't say much, though her actions talked for her. But Eren couldn't read through them. That idiot.

The dark haired called his name and Armin looked back. He wasn't staring into nowhere anymore; followed Eren's gaze 'till he found a bun of light blond hair; she was sitting at the corner of the cafeteria. "Say, Armin" he started, "you are friends with her, right?"

He couldn't answer. Though they were partners for a project, they hadn't talked since they woke up at the subway. Annie Leonhart remained a mystery for him.

"So?" He asked as trying to focus on the words written in his book, "Aren't you?" Eren sits by Annie's table, so must of the pair work they do it together; which pisses Mikasa off.

His friend buffed. "Sort of" he said, "I don't like having liars for friends... Annie is a lying bitch, though she isn't a good one". Armin closed his book to put more attention to his words. "She's always trying to act cool and stuff, but she isn't heartless enough". Eren rubbed the back of his head. "Besides her facade loses when it comes to something she's good at. Such a show off".

With a giggle, Armin responded: "such as yourself". He ignored his friend discontent and looked back at the blond girl. "But I don't think she's like that just to enjoy herself". He watched as she picked up her things. "She is hiding something". Annie left the place.

Eren followed the girl with his eyes, "what could it be?"

Armin packed up, stood in silence and walked behind the girl. He turned his head back, trying to catch some confidence from the dark haired, who smiled back at him. At the end, Eren couldn't warn him... about that girl... at that moment.

"Annie, wait". She stopped dryly at his call. She looked back at him and for a second, just a second, he felt the need to stop. Her eyes were threatening behind their red color and tears. Keep up, he told himself before reaching her. "I-I". He cleared his throat, "would you let me take you somewhere? I want to talk to you".

Annie cleaned her eyes with her sleeve. "And if I said 'no'?" replied with trembling voice before catching a glimpse of Armin's smile as he pulled her hand and started walking, taking her along.

They crossed the schools gates and went through the streets 'till they reached a bridge, before going into the public library. Armin let go of her hand and walked towards the librarian, took from his bag the book he had been reading at the cafeteria and left it over the reception. "Thank you".

"Let's go, Annie" he said before crossing the street, into a small cafeteria. "What do you want?" He asked her while taking out his wallet. She looked away, what was all this for? "You'll be taking something, you know? So better pick up" he smiled.

She asked for a vanilla cappuccino, he asked for a mocha and sat at a far corner of the place, out of sight from the rest of the people. The girl took a sip from her drink and waited for the boy to speak, though he was still searching for the correct words.

Annie grew impatient. "What did you want to talk about?" She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back on her seat. He took another sip from her drink. She sighted: "I'm going home".

"You know" Armin said in a hurry to keep the blond girl on her seat, "people... no, I used to think I was a burden for people; that I wasn't useful or helpful. I had some problems last year 'cause of it, I was sent to therapy and ever since I'm not trustful ether. Those were my thoughts of myself". Annie was kind of shocked. She didn't expect a confession, much less one of those... and from him. "But I was wrong. Though I couldn't believe it at first, I learned I was needed, that there were people who loved me and blah blah blah" he smiled.

She looked away. "Is that" she mumbled "your way of asking why was I crying?" her voice cracked at the last word. She didn't cry. She couldn't cry. Not for that. "Armin?"

The blonde looked back up 'till her eyes locked with his. His gaze was sad. "Not really, that's more like my way of saying that you shouldn't worry that much". He stood up, "that you need to calm down or you'll make your own bruises deeper". He started walking outside. "See you later, Annie"

Stupid bastard, she thought. That idiot had seen through her and told her what she needed to hear. He didn't need to ask what had happened and he certainly didn't know about it. Fuck.

Annie took another sip from her cappuccino and walked to his side. "Walk me to the station", she said pulling from his hand. She felt awkward doing so, but she wanted him near.


	3. Elysium

? (12:30) Armin, who's the author of your book?

Armin (12:34) who are you? How did you get my number? What book?

? (12:35) you're too paranoid  
Annie. Eren. The one you left at the library the other day

Armin (12:35) I'm -safe-  
That day? I don't remember :P sorry. Why are you asking?

Annie (12:37) yeah, right  
I need that book

Armin (12:38) I am  
What do you need it for?

Annie (12:38) and I believe you  
I just want it

Armin (12:40) . . .  
Where are you?

Annie (12:41) I do  
I'm at the station

Armin (12:41) I don't believe you  
Okay, I'll see you at the library

Annie (12:46) your problem  
No. See you at the coffee shop  
Bring the book

* * *

Armin entered the shop with book on hand: Stories from Gods and Heroes, by Samantha J. Chase. One of the books he adored and did not possess. It was about Greek mythology, you know: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysius, and a bunch of minor gods and all their sons. It was a pretty thick book, with small letter and no images. He loved it.

He searched for Annie with his gaze. She sat at the same spot they shared last time they came. She wore grey leggings under blue denim shorts and fluffy boots, and her usual white sweater.

She held a coffee between her hands and one in front of her. "Two coffees?" he asked as greeting.

She buffed something about it only being fair before taking another sip from her cappuccino. "You like mocha, don't you?" she pushed the coffee towards the boy who had just sat in front of her.

Armin thanked for the coffee and placed the book on the table, took a sip from the hot drink without taking his eyes from the girl.

She noticed. Her eyes locked with his, cold as ice, as if asking him a rash what-the-fuck-are-you-staring-at? Making the boy almost choke with his tongue. "It's just…" he rasped, "I never imagined you would like Greek mythology or anything fantastic for the matter".

Annie looked away, hiding her face between her bangs. But he caught a glimpse of her smile. She took the book and opened it, "I don't. But…" she said as passing the pages, "it's something my dad said that I want to understand".

"Really?" Armin wasn't the best adviser about parents–for obvious reasons, "what did he say?" But he could try.

Annie sighted. If there was something she hated more than talking about herself, was talking to someone who was playing psychologist. Yet, with Armin it was different; it didn't feel like he was playing with her, he really seemed concerned. Why?  
"He said something about reaching Elysium" she said, "and then about Titans and stuff".

Elysium was a conception of the Greek afterlife. Reserved for mortals wether related or chosen by the gods, the righteous and the heroic; where they would live blessed. Another way of calling Heaven.  
The Titans were the older gods who preceded the Olympians. Children of Uranus and Gaia, heaven and earth. They were led by Cronus and defeated by Zeus, his son, and his brothers.

Armin felt his cellphone's vibration on his pocket. He looked at its screen: INCOMING CALL, GRANDPA.

"Sorry," the boy said as standing up, "it's my grandfather. He went to the hospital today and… puff, he must be giving the doctors a bad time". He took another sip from his mocha and turned back to the girl, "see you later, Annie". He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Armin's kiss wasn't blown into the air like all kisses she had received so far. No, his lips presses against her skin, making Annie's shoulders and neck stiff and her face turn red. It was something new for her, and she liked it.

He was half way to the door when he heard her, "See ya' Armin". He couldn't suppress the smirk in reaction to her pronunciation of his name, seductive to him. The boy turned to face her, but she wasn't facing him back. Then he noticed the leather strip around her neck; he searched through his memory and found it there all the time, but he couldn't recall what hung from it.

His cellphone vibrated again.


	4. Scarlet

Armin hadn't showed up at school in a pair of days, which wasn't like him at all. And though professors and the Eremika couple seemed to know what was going on, they didn't tell.

Annie was worried about the boy. Last time she saw him, he had given her a rather sweet kiss on the cheek, which she kept recalling unintentionally.

"Hey, Jaeger" Levi asked after calling list, "how long is your friend planing to be absent?"

Eren's breathing stopped and his eyes glued to his notebook. Mikasa answered for him, "We don't know".  
The teacher sighted before continuing with his class.

Annie was trying to focus on the lesson when a torn paper was tossed to her: rn't u going 2 ask?

She looked around till she met with a pair of green eyes. "Should I?" she asked in a whisper.

"Thought you might wanna know" he mumbled, frightened of being caught. He searched for her crystalized eyes, "we are going to visit him".

She stared back at him coldly, so that Eren couldn't find questions behind her gaze. He's jaw stiffed, "fuck it, Annie! Off with the crap!" he said out loud, which made Levi turn around and call them both off.

But Eren's words echoed inside her head for the rest of the classes and on their way to visit Armin. She followed close behind him and Mikasa, who kept looking back at her every two minutes, obviously resentful for what had happened during math.

She couldn't get them, nor any other couple for the matter; and she could easily blame her dad for that and for many other things. Annie shook him out of her head.

That bastard is a monster. He used to be drunk all the time when she was just a kid. He shouted at her mom and hit her every at any chance.  
When Annie was eight her mother made their bags, took her and ran away; she bought a small, old apartment with the money she had saved working as a waitress.

The tree kids walked through the streets and by the main park 'till they reached a building Annie couldn't describe other than monstrous. "Thought we were visiting Armin" she said out of breath, wishing the boy wasn't in there.

Mikasa's cold gaze met hers. "We are" she said, "he has been straying here with grandfather".

Both kids noticed as the color drained from Annie's face. "Don't tell me you are hospital-phobic" he laughed, making Annie frown. She wasn't nosocomephobic, she just didn't like hospitals at all. She couldn't stand it farther than the ground floor, so Eren and Mikasa went ahead while she ordered some coffee at the cafeteria.

On that same place she had developed taste for bad coffee and old cookies. It had been seven years already and she still couldn't fill the hole in her stomach with cheep hospital food.

In front of her sat a young man with messy blond hair, and worn blue eyes who greeted her with broken voice; Annie couldn't find hers.

She saw her eight year old self in Armin: torn, scared and tired. She had to force herself not to look away.

He asked, "Are you alright?"  
How could still be worried about others with his world being a fucking mess? "You aren't".

"Neither are you". He didn't ask, he had already seen though her. His eyes pleaded for an explanation, for a distraction from his own problems.

The necklace started to weight a ton; she took it off and put it over the table, where Armin could see it. It was a simple accessory: a leather strip tied to a piece of crystal. She started, "I spent my last days with my mother in this hospital".

After they bought the apartment, with the money left, her mother bought a crystal heart the size of her fist to decorate their room. Months later, Annie found her laying unconscious on the floor, surrounded by a bunch of crystals dyed scarlet. The little one called for an ambulance and in the hospital they were told that her mother had something pressing against her heart. They had no money for the surgery; it turned into a question of time.

They stud in silence before Armin reached for her neckless. The piece of crystal was big and sharp enough to cut his finger if he wasn't careful. "Why do you keep this?"

Once she returned home, she collected the piece along with the rest of the crystals as she cried and cursed. She answered, "It's a little reminder".

Armin leaned over the table, his blue eyes glued on her. He took the crystal between his fingers and pressed until a drop of scarlet liquid came out. "This" he said, "won't let you heal. What could you need to remember?"

"That I can't trust no one".  
"So you don't trust me". Silence took over the place.

Armin stud up with effort, walked between the people and through the hallway to call for the elevator. He was so tired and had no condition to deal with other's problems; yet, he was so fucking curious of that damn girl' fucking life. The elevator's doors opened, he waited for the people to come out before being pushed inside. "Annie?"

The girl pushed the close button and turned towards him; took him by his shirt collar and pulled him down so his face was at the same height as hers and could see her ice cold glare. "I don't trust you" Annie mumbled, "you can see through me as if I was made of glass and yet you are kind to me and you have this way of being that makes me feel safe and… you make me vulnerable and that's why I don't trust you".

Armin blinked, "how is that my fault?"  
The girl blushed and turned away, releasing her grip of his shirt and crossing her arms over her chest. "D-don't you fucking act as if you don't fucking get it!"

The boy stood right. "I don't know if I get it, Annie!" he shouted, taking her aback "You're so fucking confusing that I can't even think about you without getting a headache!". The elevator doors opened so he took a step outside.

"Screw you Arlert!"  
The doors closed.


End file.
